


Ghost in the Machine

by Platinum2964



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Post-Pacifist, Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 10:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5413472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Platinum2964/pseuds/Platinum2964
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mettaton is really intent on having his cousin warm up to the idea of corporeality. Unfortunately for him, Napstablook is pretty happy with their own simple ways and isn't keen on the idea of having a body. To make matters worse, Alphys won't commit to any projects without Napstablook's full consent! With Mettaton scheming the perfect way to make Napstablook have a corporeal experience so awesome that they'll never go back to being a ghost, Napstablook might have way more piled onto their spiritual plate than intended. What in the world could possibly go wrong? (Spoilers: so many things.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost in the Machine

**Author's Note:**

> (Thanks very much for reading! I love all you guys!)

“oh… m-metta, i’m not that sure if… this is such a good idea. are you sure you know what you’re doing?” asked Napstablook, gaze moving from Mettaton to the odd, tube-shaped machine in front of them. Etched into the machine’s beige cover was small, difficult-to-decipher writing labeled ‘Soul Converter- version 20XX’.

“Of _course_ , Blooky! It’s my body, you know? Even if it still hasn’t been very long since this form’s official debut, let me personally assure you that I know exactly what I’m doing. And what I’m doing is allowing you to sample the lovely feeling of what it’s like to be _corporeal_ ~!”

It was now seven-o’-clock in the lower story of Alphys’ new lab on the surface. The transition had been rather fluid- her seaweed-to-dessert invention having been patented for a high price along with other harmless but useful gadgets and inventions such as biodegradable polymers and efficient solar panel materials that she had created not long after arriving here. With the newfound fortune, she was able to pay for a rather deluxe housing establishment with four distinctive quadrants- areas for herself, Undyne, Napstablook and Mettaton were all present... and not to mention, housing of similar caliber for many other friends who had made it here as well. It was a rather endearing setup, each member of the household having a unique little bed-and-bath area to call their own. On the other hand, the basement had quickly been converted into a science lab for her to keep up the production of Alphys’ new creations.

Today, that would be the setting of a rather… well, unusual little foray. The air smelled faintly of shrimp-flavored packets of ramen noodles mixed with a weird and slightly out-of-place new car smell.

Mettaton was absolutely intent on having Napstablook experience just a little taste of what it was like to have a body. While the shy spirit had insisted at least a dozen times that they weren’t really up to having a different body, it didn’t really budge Mettaton. Nothing tended to, usually.

The plan was to have Napstablook possess the form that Mettaton was already using.

Ghosts, while usually happy to simply take over inanimate objects with movable features and personify themselves through those means, did have a limited ability to take over the minds of creatures with more physical matter than monsters, such as humans or animals… or, in this case, a second ghost that already had a fully corporeal form. It was a willing thing, though, sort of like hypnosis- if someone locked out their mind to a ghost, it wasn’t as if they could get in. It had to be a willing symbiosis- either a corporeal creature with a soul and a monster working to pilot a single body or a creature willingly allowing their soul to be ejected from their body in order to give a ghost nearly full control.

Such things were documented both by monster historians and Alphys herself, observing the actions of other ghosts on the surface.

Mettaton figured that he could at least let Napstablook inside his body for a couple of moments as a copilot to get the experience. If he was lucky, maybe they would agree that having a corporeal form was the best thing to ever happen to them and agree to have a second body built for them!

Maybe that was wishful thinking. Maybe not. The fact of the matter was, Mettaton was more excited than he’d been in ages, having spent all day in EX form to practice the motions he would guide his cousin in using. This was going to be so much fun!

Mettaton began ushering Napstablook into an odd chassis-like structure made of bluish-green glass. It connected to one end of the tube-like machine, and there was a second chassis at the other end of it. The ghost seemed mildly put off by all of this- they lived in Waterfall their whole life, for heaven’s sake! The highest tech they owned while there was a desktop computer and an ancient modem- they seriously had no idea what was about to happen, even after getting a detailed summary.

“You remember how this works, right, Blooky?”

“um… actually… you sort of left out a couple details, i think. i hope you don’t mind explaining it over for me? sorry…”

“Oh, of course! It’s never an issue. Like I said before, this is the soul conversion machine the good doctor Alphys used to integrate me more easily into this lovely form! It transfers energy, such as soul power, into solid objects. The process of becoming corporeal is a lengthy ordeal, as you know- so this helped me undergo the changes almost immediately so I could fit the mold for show business ASAP! Though, in case anything ever went horribly wrong and this body was broken beyond repair but my soul was intact, the process is fully reversible! Now, if my own calculations are right (which I’m sure they are), we can use this gadgetry to place you in here with me for a short time. For a normal ghost, this would be quite the feat… but Blooky, I trust you more than anyone. We can get this right, I’m sure! Shall we begin?” asked Mettaton swiftly after the explanation, clasping his hands together in excitement.

“oh… um… about your ‘calculations’… i didn’t really see any paperwork or anything. you’re sure we can pull this off…? it’s not going to hurt or anything?” responded Napstablook, looking up at the imposing machine with some uneasiness. Their expression was the same somber gaze, but they seemed particularly anxious today.

“Absolutely! There’s not a doubt in my mind, and I’d never attempt this if I thought you were at risk of even getting a scratch on you! It’d be a _crime_ for you not to try it out just for a short spell. Just say the word, and I’ll throw the switch!” Mettaton replied enthusiastically, one finger haphazardly resting on the edge of the bright red cautionary switch with three labels that read, in order- “INJECTION. OFF. EJECTION.” Those appeared to be the three different modes.

“oh… well, if you’re sure… i guess…” came the hesitant response.

Before Napstablook could half-heartedly continue in their meager objections, Mettaton had already thrown the ‘injection’ switch and stepped inside the chassis on the right before both of them closed their doors and sealed tightly shut.

The machine began to sputter as mechanical whirrs filled the room. Napstablook, despite knowing they had the power to phase outside the glass at any given moment, was feeling a little claustrophobic. They looked towards Mettaton- while his features were a little tough to make out from behind the translucent glass, one could see his figure giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

That was the last thing that Napstablook saw before the world went black for a couple of moments.

\---

“Blooky? Blooky, can you hear me?” came a familiar voice. “Are you awake in here?”

Napstablook opened their eyes wearily, before placing a hand over their throbbing chest without much though. “huh…? oh… y-yeah, don’t worry over me. i’m okay and all…” they murmured, before realizing something. They clutched their hands over their mouth, realizing that their voice sounded a bit more… elegant than usual. And a little glitchier, if you wanted to get critical.

Hands?

Chest?

_… Mettaton. They were sharing a body._

“Blooky, how do you feel? Can you stand up for me, dear cousin?” asked Mettaton. The voice was coming from Napstablook’s mouth. Their body felt so… heavy.

They looked down. Long legs folded underneath their torso, arms crossed together timidly. They manually, mechanically raised a hand, looking it over.

“metta… how do you keep track of all this? you need to move your arms and legs at the same time… and your mouth all the while. i really don’t know how to deal with this.”

“Now, now, Blooky, we really need to take care of your negativity. Such a frown doesn’t look nice on my face. Why don’t you try moving around? Do what feels natural! You have natural talent, after all!”

Thwump!!

A metal shoulder and head promptly made contact with the floor, one leg high in the air.

“G-gold star for the effort, Blooky…!” Mettaton praised through clenched teeth.

This might take a while.

 


End file.
